ABOUT JONATHAN

We see ourselves in our favorite songs. They reflect our strengths and remind us of our potential. Jonathan Hutcherson infuses country with uplifting affirmations culled from his own real-life underdog journey. Belting right from the gut as he wears his heart on his sleeve, he shares his truth without filter. Generating streams in the millions and receiving acclaim from the Tennessean and more, he forges a close connection to audiences on his 2021 self-titled debut EP.

“Music is innately human,” he observes. “It moves people. Storytelling is so important to what I do. When you listen to me, I want you to relate and hopefully see yourself in the songs. I have a lot I want to say.

Among his earliest memories as a child in Kentucky, Jonathan recalls singing in church. As captured on a grainy home movie, he even belted out “Victory In Jesus” in front of the whole congregation one Sunday (while directing the choir). He recognized an innate predisposition for singing and songwriting even with “moderate to severe hearing loss.” 

Wearing hearing aids since the age of two, he nevertheless gravitated to music from the first moment he could.

“It’s funny how my purpose involves my ears,” he smiles. “My mom kept a journal for me. When I was really little, she wrote, ‘I don’t know what he’s going to do, but he’s going to do music—either teach it, sing it, play it or write it’. I’ve learned how to deal with my hearing. It’s not what defines me, but it’s part of the unique story I get to tell.”

In between local talent shows, his parents brought him to the Kentucky Opry throughout middle school. He competed fiercely with show-stopping renditions of staples such as John Michael Montgomery’s “Sold” and Alabama’s “Mountain Music,” often placing near the top. Around the same time, he taught himself how to play guitar on YouTube and embraced a tried-and-true approach. “I felt at home when I sang old Dolly Parton, George Jones, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley tunes,” he admits. “I continue to pull a lot of influence from those classics.”

At 16-years-old, he auditioned for NBC’s The Voice and ended up on Team Pharrell Williams. His appearance on the show boosted his confidence. After his final high school test, he bolted straight to Nashville on February 1, 2018—a date he memorialized with a tattoo on his arm. His independent single “Strangers” racked up 1 million-plus Spotify streams as he logged countless sessions around Music City, balancing a job at Lowe’s to stay afloat. In 2019, he caught the attention of Creative Nation and signed a publishing and development deal. Co-writing with the likes of Parker Welling, Jamie Moore, Josh Jenkins, and Heather Morgan, he spent the next year cultivating his sound, drawing equally from those formative gospel influences, classic country, and homegrown bluegrass with a twist of modern pop.